September 14, 2016

Sister missionaries in New Canaan

Hey!

I've had an awesome week. It's been so dreamy. HahahaWe feel like the luckies to be in New Canaan. New Canaan hasn't hadsister in a couple years so we'll be here before and after the templeopen house. I am so grateful for the experience I will be having. So Ihad a lot of cool experiences this week. The first being able to visitwith the Lanier's Wednesday. They loved the temple and want to goback. Little Jeffrey said he never felt so much joy in his life.That's very cool coming from a 15 year old. It always feels like homethere. I told them to write down their feelings of that day and Jeffpulled out his journal from past lessons we've had over there, it wasfun to read those short one liners. Hahah The next day we went on asplit with the Westchester sisters. I spent the entire day inYonkers!!! Scarsdale and Yonkers have combined wards so the work therehas changed and I think it has been good for the two. Can you believethat.

Friday we went on a special temple trip to do a session with the othersisters that will be in Hartford! President and Sister Smith, alongwith President's parent who were on their way home from their missionin Find Land, went through with us. THAT WAS SPECIAL. I love thetemple and I felt the spirit while I was there. I loved hearing theSmith's testimonies of the temple and how central it has been in theirlives.

So Friday later is when we arrived in New Canaan and met Sister Pace.They are a really great family and have been so good to us. I amreally grateful they are letting us live with them and practicallybeing our family for the time being.we feel very well taken care of.They have 3 girls, one is on a mission in São Paulo Brazil! Ashlyn is16 and LaNaya is 13. They are super cute girls! Sister Pace makes usfood a lot and they let us say family prayers with them. Hahaha sonice! Bishop Pace has been traveling most the time we've been here.He's awesome, he gave us a list of names when we got here. The Eldersalso met with us to tell us about who we can work with! One of theElders served with Sister Baugh in Moscow before coming to ny!!! Smallworld! The night we got here they took us out to sushi and we wentwith Sister Pace to pick up her daughter and met a bunch of the youngwoman. This ward is incredible!! Families practically come here forthe youth program. It was a rare group of girls:)

The members we have stopped by so far have all been amazing!!! Sundaywe had a meeting for the Hartford temple so we couldn't go to oursacrament meeting but we went to ward council before and later to thisfireside and they were all so great!!! Everyone kept asking us howthey could help us. The fireside was for the stake youth for theCelebration of the temple and they had us stand up so they couldannounce that we were here to help everyone to invite people to thetemple!! Haha it was awesome.

The streets and neighborhoods here are so charming. The biggest mostbeautiful homes I've ever seen all in one little town. This life isnot real. We had dinner with Sister Ohrn who's a ward missionary andworks in the temple who just LOVES missionaries and we were out on herback porch having dinner. It was the most dreamy scene you would eversee. Everyone has been so happy to see sisters, that's made things funfor us. It's difficult not having a lot of clue what to do, but it'salso been kind of fun to just go day by day and follow the spirit.

We had a zone study on Joseph Smith History. This Elder in our missionsang Joseph Smith's first prayer and the whole meeting I felt had sucha sweet spirit. Chills. I know I can always fall back on PresidentSmith's testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith.I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I want to be a mother ofFaith, like Lucy who trusts and doesn't live in confusion.I have for myself felt the still voice of the spirit teach me of howtrue the restoration really was here in New York and Connecticut and Iam so excited for that anchor to my testimony. I can't wait to sharemore about the New Canaan ward with you! I hope we will be able to bein the homes here and share our simple testimonies of temples!